News & Media

A Biophysical ‘Smoking Gun’

July 12, 2017

A Biophysical ‘Smoking Gun’

Scientists studying Alzheimer’s disease begin to unravel how the protein tau transitions from soluble liquid to solid fibrous tangle

While much about Alzheimer’s disease remains a mystery, scientists do know that part of the disease’s progression involves a normal protein called tau, aggregating to form ropelike inclusions within brain cells that eventually strangle the neurons. Yet how this protein transitions from its soluble liquid state to solid fibers has remained unknown — until now.

The UC Santa Barbara Current

Why Antibiotics Fail

June 06, 2017

Why Antibiotics Fail

UCSB biologists correct a flaw in the way bacterial susceptibility to these drugs is tested

When a patient is prescribed the wrong antibiotic to treat a bacterial infection, it’s not necessarily the physician who is at fault. The current antibiotic assay — standardized in 1961 by the World Health Organization and used worldwide — is potentially flawed.

The UC Santa Barbara Current

The Elevator Pitch Perfected

April 24, 2017

When the standing-room-only crowd at UC Santa Barbara’s 5th annual Grad Slam quieted, Leah Foltz began her three-minute presentation about personalized medicine.

But hers wasn’t the usual academic, sometimes dry, explanation.

Foltz, a UCSB graduate student in biomolecular science and engineering, delivered an engaging summary of recent strides in stem cell research and how her lab uses this biological material to study blinding diseases. Her research explores whether scientists will one day be able to use someone’s own cells to cure their blindness.

The Elevator Pitch Perfected

The Last Frontier. Neuroscientist Kenneth S. Kosik examines the molecular basis of brain plasticity and the manner in which neurons ‘learn’.

January 05, 2017

UC Santa Barbara neuroscientist Kenneth S. Kosik has been studying the brain for decades. His neurobiology lab focuses on the evolution of synapses that connect neurons and the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease. In particular, Kosik’s team is interested in the underlying molecular basis of plasticity and how protein translation at synapses affect learning.

In a new paper published in the journal Neuron, Kosik explores the nature of brain plasticity and proposes a theory about how neurons learn.

The UC Santa Barbara Current

For Distinguished Contributions to Medicine': UCSB professor Samir Mitragotri is elected to the National Academy of Medicine

October 18, 2016

UC Santa Barbara chemical engineering professor Samir Mitragotri has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. Mitragotri joins 79 new members chosen by the organization in recognition of their professional achievement and commitment to service. The announcement was made today at the academy’s annual meeting in Washington, DC.

The UC Santa Barbara Current

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